Bedtime Stories
by JaxGalaxie
Summary: A collection of bedtime stories as told by Yu-Gi-Oh! characters.
1. The Dragon Prince

THE DRAGON PRINCE

"Could you tell me a story?"

Mokuba, jolted awake at hearing the voice, turned in surprise to face the green-haired boy in white pajamas before him.

"Noah." Mokuba blinked. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Just now..." the boy murmured. "Are you busy?"

"Well, kind of," Mokuba replied. He glanced up at the blue and white screens that displayed countless programs presenting all sorts of calculations, graphs, and various images. "I'm monitoring Seto's activity. He should be returning anytime soon..."

"Oh, alright..." Noah said. He clutched a teddy bear in one hand. Gozaburo's son had been perfectly restored back into a cloned human body as part of an incredibly confidential project of KaibaCorp; he returned the same age as when they had lost him, and he was still very much a child in quite a few aspects. Some of which were, of course, evidenced by the teddy bear and him asking for a story.

Noah looked down at his right hand and flexed his delicate fingers. The cloning and restoration process had been a tedious project to execute, but in the end, the rescue of Noah Kaiba made it all worth it. They'd found his backup file in the midst of the KaibaCorp cyberspace and were able to successfully implant the information into his brain through some technology that Mokuba couldn't quite understand yet but that Seto surely could. After all, it was the KaibaCorp CEO himself who had designed it.

"Well, when exactly _is_ Seto coming back?" inquired Noah.

"Maybe in a few hours," replied Mokuba, eliciting a wide-eyed look from his stepbrother.

"A few hours? Okay..." Noah frowned and looked down at his feet.

"What's the matter? Miss him already?" Mokuba jested, going up to his stepbrother and nudging him with one elbow.

Noah laughed. "Yeah, I do... I missed you both, actually. You were gone the whole day and even now you're still busy with something."

He who should have been the eldest Kaiba was also the youngest now. Mokuba had grown into a young man through his teenage years, and he had found it somewhat strange seeing now that Noah was in a body younger than his. Once upon a time, it had been the other way around, but now, Noah was just a child in a world that had moved on without him.

"Please tell me a story..." Noah pleaded, his eyes shining. "Just one, then I'll go to bed. I promise! I know I'm kinda too old for it, but I really can't sleep..."

"Hrmm..." But what story was Mokuba supposed to tell? "I don't have my old books anymore. I gave them all away..."

"You can just make one up on the spot," said Noah. "I wouldn't mind at all!"

A memory suddenly flashed across Mokuba's mind; he and Seto, as children, were seated underneath a tent made of blankets with the glowing orange and yellow light of the lamp illuminating the vicinity, with Seto telling Mokuba stories of heroes having grand adventures and legends of fantastic creatures. Mokuba remembered how awed he had been by Seto's storytelling, and, glancing at Noah, he realized he had some big shoes to fill if he was going to tell Noah a story.

Mokuba could pinpoint when Seto had stopped with the storytelling. Seto had been perhaps fifteen or sixteen, as far as Mokuba could remember, and Mokuba had to find new ways to entertain himself before bed. And it was customary, then, for little Mokuba to become lost in his own enthralling world when Seto was gone or busy. Mokuba would imagine for himself all sorts of magic and adventure, creating his own tales to be told. He would imagine pirates sailing across the seven seas, superheroes saving the city from the worst villains to walk the Earth, and of course, tales of dragons soaring the sky and breathing bursts of flame about the air.

_Wait a minute!_

Dragons?

That gave Mokuba an idea.

"Noah, c'mere. I'll tell you story I made up myself." Mokuba gestured to the empty seat beside his.

Noah grinned and padded towards the seat, flopping onto it while snuggling his teddy bear.

"Many moons ago in a land far away," Mokuba began. "There lived a dragon with scales as silvery and shimmery as moonlight and with eyes as blue as sapphires."

The small smirk on Noah's lips told Mokuba that the former knew where he'd drawn inspiration from, and the latter responded with a big grin and a nod.

"The dragon lived in a cave of glimmering jewels in every color of the rainbow, deep, deep down in its depths, hoarding treasure like gold, pearls, and diamonds. Its most guarded piece was a white stone of ancient power, which, according to legend, could bestow great strength and healing onto the one who wielded it. Because of this, many sought to enter the cave and challenge the dragon or steal the white stone. Thieves would sneak inside the cave, thinking themselves clever, only to meet the flames and fangs of the great beast. Knights from all over the land would arrive with weapons forged from iron and fire, and battle with the dragon would ensue. But the knights were all defeated; nobody came close to winning against that dragon." Mokuba realized he was getting into the swing of it, and he was beginning to enjoy it.

The small frown on Noah's face made Mokuba realize he was getting uncomfortable, and Mokuba gave a small chuckle. "Oh, Noah, don't worry, nobody died. They just got beat real bad by the dragon and had to go back home."

"Oh, okay," said Noah, his shoulders relaxing. "Please continue."

Mokuba looked upon Noah, realizing that his stepbrother never quite had a childhood, being under Gozaburo's constant haunt. Noah may have enjoyed the time spent with his father, but him having a childhood where he could run and be free was sacrificed to make way for that. He probably hadn't been told a story before the present. Trying not to feel pity, Mokuba continued on with his tale.

He cleared his throat. "One day, a prince in a white coat traveled to the dragon's cave, seeking the white stone. He didn't bring any weapons, not even the smallest dagger or a tiny shield. He didn't even come with armor. Instead, the only thing he brought with him was a rusty old locket."

"What was in the locket?" asked Noah.

"You'll see," answered Mokuba. "Anyway... where was I? Oh, yeah! Into the cave, the prince ventured, and he was amazed at the beauty of the area. But because he was so distracted by it all, he'd wandered right into the dragon!"

"And then what happened?" Noah gasped.

"The dragon sprayed a breath of flame into the air, saying, 'why have you come?'" Mokuba boomed in a loud voice. "The prince answered, 'I am here because I seek the white stone of legend. I have heard of its great powers, and I must have the stone for a great cause.' The dragon, intrigued, asked, 'And what is this cause?'

"The prince opened up his rusty old locket in the shape of a heart, and inside were the pictures of his two brothers. 'My brothers have fallen ill, and thus I have come to humbly ask of you the stone so that they may heal.'

"The dragon reared its head, raising a brow. 'You have not come to challenge me?' It inquired," said Mokuba. He stared at Noah, searching for a cue if drowsiness was overtaking the boy. So far, Noah's eyes were wide and awake, and he remained on the edge of his seat.

_Looks like it's exciting him instead of putting him to sleep, _thought Mokuba, but he continued nonetheless.

"'No, I have not,' said the prince. The dragon eyed him carefully, then gave a small grunt.

"'I see now that you are pure of heart and wish to do no harm,' said the dragon. It took the stone into its claws and dropped it into the hands of the prince. 'For you have come to ask in humility, instead of selfishness. Hence, I will give you a gift as well.'

"The dragon plucked one of its own scales and presented it to the prince. 'Let this scale protect you, o prince, from all harm and evil that may be cast upon you.'

"The prince thanked the dragon and went on his way back to his castle, where he presented the stone to his ill brothers. They were cured instantly, and the three brothers embraced."

"Is that the end of the story?" asked Noah.

"There's more," Mokuba told him. "Sometime after, a mad beast with great, big horns rampaged through the kingdom! It destroyed houses left and right, trampled land, and toppled monuments.

"The prince was called to slay the beast, and he obliged, descending his castle to meet the beast in battle. The moment the beast saw him, it charged! It snorted and kicked up dirt as it dashed at the prince, fire in its huge red eyes.

"But the prince held aloft the dragon's scale, and it grew three times its size so that it shielded him completely, and the beast rammed its head right onto the scale!"

"Ouch," remarked Noah. "That must have been painful."

"You bet," said Mokuba. "And that gave the prince enough time to leap up into the air and stab his sword right into the beast's heart, slaying it instantly and saving the whole kingdom! And it didn't stop there. The prince continued to go on grand adventures, saving people and entire kingdoms and challenging evildoers. His name was known throughout the land, and the prince was known as the Dragon Prince from then on, not just because of the scale he carried, but because his heart was pure and courageous, like a dragon's.

"The end!" Mokuba concluded his story.

Noah's head drooped, his eyelids were heavy, and his teddy bear was slipping from his hands. Mokuba giggled and went over to him, shaking his shoulder.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," said Mokuba.

"But I'm not tired..." Noah yawned.

Mokuba led Noah to his room, the latter crashing onto the bed the moment they stepped in. The young KaibaCorp vice president pulled the blankets over his sleeping stepbrother and adjusted his teddy bear so that it laid down next to him. He tiptoed out of the room and closed the lights, shutting the door behind him.

Seto returned from work two hours later. "There you are. What have you been doing, Mokuba?"

"Oh, the usual... running tests, and, ah, monitoring you," said Mokuba, beaming up at his older brother.

The eldest Kaiba nodded, and turned to walk away. "That's good. I'm going to rest now, Mokuba. It's been a long day."

"Hey, Seto?" Mokuba suddenly piped up.

"What is it?" Seto glanced back at Mokuba.

Mokuba bashfully put his hands behind his back. "I know you've had a busy day and all, but... can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Could you tell me a story?"


	2. The Princess and the Wolf

THE PRINCESS AND THE WOLF

The storm outside brewed late into the night mercilessly, winds whipping against the glass windows, threatening to shatter them, rain beating against the roof and the walls, as though it wished for the room to cave in. Underneath the covers, Leon von Schroeder tossed and turned, too disturbed by his surroundings for him to drift off to sleep.

He sighed. He'd had a rough day. An argument that his mother had drawn them into and a duel loss made the boy feel very much unlike himself, and all he wanted to do was go to sleep so he could reset for the next morning. Leon shoved his pillow over his face and groaned. When on Earth was the storm going to stop?

A knock sounded off at his door, and the creaking that followed let Leon know that someone had let themselves in. "Leon…?"

He sat up in bed immediately, dark circles evident under his eyes, and his light maroon hair tousled into a mess. "Hey, bro. What's up?"

Zigfried tiptoed into the room, his rose-pink hair flowing behind his tall form. He sat at the edge of Leon's bed and smiled at his younger brother, offering him a glass of warm milk. "I thought you'd be having a hard time sleeping. It's a pretty bad storm outside. Even I'm having trouble trying to go to bed."

A bolt of lightning striking outside with a deafening crash of thunder made Leon squeal and latch onto his brother. Zigfried laughed and patted his back.

Leon chuckled nervously and took the glass from Zigfried. "Thanks for this, bro. I hate storms."

Zigfried watched as his younger brother sipped the milk. "Is there anything I can do for you, Leon?"

"Hmm…" Leon glanced up at the clock. It was midnight. By this time, Cinderella's carriage would have turned back into a pumpkin and her servants back into mice. "I think I'll be okay, big bro. But I guess I could use some company."

"Well, then, I'm just here," Zigfried told him. "How about a story?"

Leon's face brightened. "A story? What kind of story?"

"How about a fairytale? I could tell you one," said Zigfried. "Though I'm sure you know them all by heart."

"That's okay. I'd appreciate it nonetheless," said Leon, scooting closer to his brother.

Zigfried looked out the window thoughtfully. Outside, the rain clawed at the windowpane and the lightning crackled through the sky. The thick fog suffocated all traces of light and the wind howled.

"May I see your cards, Leon?" asked Zigfried. Leon nodded and took his deck out of his dresser drawer. The older Schroeder shuffled through them, then picked five cards face-down and presented them to Leon.

"Pick two," instructed Zigfried. "Then I'll tell you a story based on whatever two cards you pick."

Leon hovered a hand over the cards, wriggling his fingers, before placing his fingers on two cards side by side and turning them to face him.

"Forest Wolf and Cinderella," said Leon. "Wow! What kind of story are you gonna tell me about that?"

Zigfried smiled sweetly. "Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess…

"Fair and gorgeous she was, with her bronze skin and her ebony curls. Many a suitor came to claim her hand in marriage, but she had rejected them all. One day, her father, the king, promised her to a nobleman who was a friend of his.

"The princess, who did not love him, did not take this news well at all. In fact, she fled the castle and ran all the way to a forest clearing and cried upon a tree stump, wishing that she could have her freedom to choose."

"Oh, my…" Leon said sadly. "Zigfried, the princesses in stories always seem to have it rough for them, huh?"

"Indeed, they do," replied Zigfried. "And in the real world it is no less different, unfortunately. But perhaps this story's twist will bid well for our princess. Listen well, my brother…

"Suddenly, a wolf came out of the thicket and regarded the sobbing girl. 'Girl, why do you cry?' it asked," continued Zigfried.

"Was the princess afraid?" inquired Leon, resting his chin on his hands and looking up at Zigfried.

"No, she was not afraid, for she was a very brave princess. 'My father intends to give my hand in marriage to a man I do not love,' said the princess. 'Oh, what am I to do?

""The wolf reflected very deeply for a moment until suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. 'O princess,' said he. 'Tonight, you must meet me again here, and bring me a set of the finest clothes that only a prince would wear. Then, I shall be able to help you.' But the wolf noticed the princess hesitating and asked, 'do you trust me?' and the princess, looking into his innocent brown eyes, said, 'I trust you.'

"The princess agreed, and she brought the wolf fine, silken clothes with gold brooches and silver buttons.

"'Now, you must expect me when you have the first ball to celebrate the week of your marriage,' the wolf instructed. 'And when you see me, you must come to me and dance with me. Trust me, for I shall help you, truly.'

"And with that, the wolf took the clothes and bounded back into the bushes."

"Ooh, and then what?" Leon's eyes twinkled.

"The week came wherein the royal palace threw a weeklong party to celebrate the marriage that was to take place on the day of rest, to bless the couple with peace. And oh, the poor princess could not bear her suitor, whose sight glanced towards other ladies at the ball, and whose hand struck servants who he deemed were not performing well. Every time he would take the princess' hand to kiss it, she would shyly slip away and give him some excuse," continued Zigfried. "When the dancing began, the princess spied someone… different…"

"Who was it?" Leon sat up and straightened his back.

"It was a tall, slender man who wore a mask," said Zigfried. "With beautiful, long flowing pink hair and the most handsome face…"

Leon giggled. "Heeey!"

"What?" chuckled Zigfried. "Am I not allowed to enjoy this story, too?"

"Wait a minute, if he was wearing a mask, how could they tell he was handsome?" joked Leon.

Zigfried laughed. "Alright, alright. Let's continue the story…

"The princess approached, and when she drew near, she noticed the familiar brown eyes and the fine clothes that he wore. She knew then that this was the wolf whom she had spoken to some days ago. They bowed to each other, and, with the wolf taking her hand, they had their first dance together. She avoided her betrothed the entire night and spent it at the side of the wolf-prince. Before the wolf slipped away for the night, he presented to the princess a rose and told her to keep it with her.

"On the second day, the wolf-prince appeared once more, and the princess chose to dance with him for the rest of the night. Her betrothed did not mind, as he knew that she was his for the taking at the end of the week and decided to spend his time drinking with the other noblemen and dancing with the other pretty girls at the party. Once again, the wolf-prince gave the princess another rose and told her to keep it.

"On the eve of the wedding, the wolf-prince gave the princess a final rose and instructed her, 'tomorrow, please wear all the roses I have given you as a crown upon thy head. I will see you before you are to be wed.'

"'Then what am I to do?' asked the princess.

"'Trust me,' said the wolf.

"And so, on the day of her wedding, she wore the roses woven together as a crown upon her head. The princess-bride cried as she was ushered to the altar, until a familiar figure stood at the doorway of the church.

"'Oh, my prince!' she cried. 'my wolf-prince!'

"She ran towards the wolf-prince, and at this, he changed back into a wolf, but the weddinggoers all stood up and tried to attack the wolf-prince, drawing swords and blades and getting ready to strike.

"Suddenly, from the rose-crown upon the princess head, vines of thorns began to grow and stretch out from them, creating a spiky barrier between the weddinggoers and the wolf-prince and the princess. This gave the princess enough time to swiftly leap onto the wolf's back, and they leapt out the window right into the moat!"

"Oh, no!" gasped Leon, his hands flying over to cover his mouth. "Then what happened?!"

"At first, the people were afraid that the princess may have drowned, but as the two surfaced, it was revealed that the princess had been transformed into a wolf herself!

"The pair of wolves fled into the thicket, never to be seen by human eyes again," said Zigfried. "Some say that the couple of wolves ruled the forest as king and queen. And together, they had many children, and their children had many children, and their line of descendants carries onto the wolves we know today. They say that when you hear the wolves howl into the night, they are singing the song of the wolf-princess and her groom."

Leon's jaw dropped. "Wow, Zigfried!"

"Thank you." His older brother bowed with a flourish. "Are you feeling better, my brother?"

"I am," said Leon. The rain outside had quieted down into a drizzle and the first glimmers of starlight were now peeking through the fog. "I think I'm sleepy enough now… thank you for the story, Zigfried…"

Zigfried tucked Leon in. "Anytime, Leon. Do rest up well. There's plenty we have to do tomorrow—but we've got each other. Alright?"

"Alright…" Leon yawned. "Goodnight, Zigfried."

Zigfried gazed out the window. The moon shone through the light rain now, illuminating the sky with all its glory. In the distance, Zigfried could almost hear the melodious howling of wolves echoing through the night.

"Goodnight, Leon. May the wolves sing you to sleep."


	3. The Most Beautiful Thing

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING

"Goodnight, Serenity." Joey pulled the covers over him and snuggled his pillow. "Ahh, and now for a good night's sleep! I'm bushed."

No reply came from the bunk bed overhead. Joey opened one eye and glanced upwards.

"Hey, uh… Serenity? You there?" Joey sat up.

Serenity coughed. "Yeah…"

"Something bothering you, sis?" Joey inquired, sitting up. He ran a hand through his messy golden hair and hopped off the bed, regarding his sister's lying form.

"Just can't sleep, I guess," replied his sister. "I don't feel so good."

Joey frowned. He loved his sister more than anything, and to see her in any state of distress or discomfort worried him greatly. He'd taken it upon himself to be her guardian, and he vowed to protect her at all costs.

He could protect her from harm. From bullies, from calamities, from disasters, from villainy. But he had trouble accepting that there were some things he couldn't protect her from, like her feelings.

"Anything you wanna talk about?" Joey asked her. Serenity shook her head and pulled the blankets over herself.

"… Hey, I'm just here if you need anything," Joey murmured. "Is there anything I can do for you, sis?"

"Well…" Serenity turned to face him. "Tell me something to distract me, please…"

"Okay," Joey said. "What do you wanna hear?"

Serenity looked up thoughtfully. Strands of her copper hair fell about her face. "A story, maybe?"

"A story? Aw, jeez…" Joey rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, okay. What kind of story?"

"Tell me about—" she paused.

Joey tilted his head and raised a brow. "About…?"

"Oh, no, never mind," said Serenity. "I'll just try to go back to sleep. Goodnight, Joey."

"Now, wait a minute." Joey waved his hands. "Not to force ya or anything, sis, but if there's something that I can do for you, I wanna do it. I don't wanna just sit here and watch, Serenity… I hate to see you so sad. What is it that I can do for you? Please, sis, I wanna help you."

"Alright, Joey." Serenity smiled at him. "I was going to ask you to tell me a story about when we were kids."

"Childhood, eh?" Joey whistled through his teeth. The Wheeler children hadn't exactly had the best early years of youth; their parents had separated when Joey was only ten, and, coming from a household with an abusive, drunkard father and being split from his sister's side for years, Joey grew up having a rough side to his personality. His experiences being mostly out on the streets had hardened his spirit, but thankfully, not his heart. Deep down he was still the clumsy, loveable boy whom anyone could run to in times of need. He still had a lot of love to give; he'd stayed by Yugi's side unwaveringly, he'd fought against the most destructive forces in the name of all that was good, and of course, he cared for his sister and provided for her needs, even if he had to do it all alone.

"Hold on, lemme think of a good memory that I can tell ya," Joey said with a wink. "Something that you don't remember. So that it'll be fun to tell."

Serenity rested her cheeks on the palms of her hand as she laid on her stomach. "Okay. I'm waiting!"

"Hmm…" Joey tapped his chin, then his eyes widened. "A-ha!"

Joey patted the space on his bed next to him, and Serenity climbed down the ladder from her bunk and sat by Joey's side.

"I'll tell you about the happiest day of my life," Joey said. "The day you were born.

"I remember what Mom was like when she was pregnant with you. I remember her full, round belly, like a full moon, and how she told me that there was the best kind of love growing inside. I didn't understand what she meant when she said that, then Dad explained to me that we were expecting a new member of the family. And I thought, 'a baby! That's gonna be different.' I'd been so used to being an only child by then that the thought of another kid in the household scared me. I thought, what if I didn't end up being a good brother?"

"And then you turned out to be the best kind of brother," said Serenity, bumping him playfully with her shoulder.

"Aww, shucks." Joey blushed. "And you turned out to be the best kind of sister!"

Serenity giggled. "And then?"

"I remember telling everyone on the playground some days later that I was gonna be a big brother. Some of the kids were happy for me and all, but, y'know, there's always some other kid who doesn't know when to shut his mouth. And he was all, 'what, you a softie over some dumb baby, Wheeler?' and he kicked sand in my face. I gave him a black eye, and I got detention for it, but it was worth it, 'cause nobody insults my baby sibling!" Joey puffed out his chest proudly and grinned at Serenity.

Serenity tossed her auburn hair behind her and grinned back. "My big brother sure is brave!"

"As the months went by, I wondered more and more what having a new baby in the family would be like. I gotta admit, I wasn't comfortable with the fact at first that I had to share my stuff, but when we found out the baby was gonna be a girl, I was relieved. Ha-ha! Just kidding ya. I'da been happy to share no matter what. I swore that I was gonna no less than the best big brother ever!" Joey pumped his fist in the air. Suddenly, his expression fell, and his gaze dropped to the floor as he shuffled his feet together.

Serenity furrowed her brows. "What's the matter, Joey?"

"I just remembered… There was one time I snuck out of bed late and peeked into the living room to see what Mom and Dad were up to. They were holding hands," Joey mumbled. "That was the first—and last—time I ever saw them do that."

Serenity fell silent, a look on her face giving away that she was unsure what to do, then she inched closer to Joey and laid her head on his shoulder, sighing.

"I've never seen Mom and Dad do anything like that," Serenity whispered.

"And we never will." Joey smiled at her sadly. "But it's okay. We got each other, Serenity."

Joey threw an arm around his sister and pulled her close, with Serenity returning the affection by wrapping his arms around him.

"And then what, Joey?" she asked.

"The day came when Mom was gonna give birth. I remember I was so worried for her! She was sweating all over and pale in the face, moanin' and groanin' in pain. Little me thought that it wasn't gonna end well for her; she was screaming all over the place! I tell ya Serenity, it don't look like childbirth is easy." He laughed nervously. "It still scares me sometimes when I remember it, I gotta admit. That's a big sacrifice to go through, givin' birth.

"I waited outside the delivery room for hours, Serenity. We'd been staying in the hospital for two days then. I was trying not to fall asleep, but eventually I did, and then I woke up when Dad was shaking my shoulder, saying, 'Come meet your sister, Joey.'

"I walked up to Mom. Her face was ragged and weary, and her hair was a mess, but she was smiling, and she was cradling you in her arms. I held my breath and looked over you… you were so small, so pink, and your eyes were still closed. I asked Mom, 'can I hold her hand?' and she nodded. I put my finger in your little palm, and your fingers curled around it…" Joey's voice squeaked hoarsely a tad at the end of his statement as his voice trailed off, throat too tight to talk. Serenity looked him over, but Joey turned away, trying to hide the tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"I'd never seen anything more beautiful," whispered Joey. "The most beautiful thing in the world, my baby sister. Every night, I'd go up to your crib and just look at you, and tell you that you were gonna grow up to be big and strong. I was so proud."

Joey glanced back at his sister and saw that her own eyes were welling up with tears. "Hey, don't cry, now! It's alright, it's supposed to be a happy story!"

"I know, I know," Serenity said, sniffling and giving him a small smile.

"You're everything in the world and more to me, Serenity," Joey told her. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"And I don't know what I'd do without _you,_" Serenity replied. "You really are the best big brother in the whole universe."

"Heck, you were the one who saved my life," Joey pointed out. "You jumped into the sea to save me."

"And you were the one who saved my sight," said Serenity. "I wouldn't have been able to appreciate the beauty in this world without you."

The two sat in silence beside each other for a few moments, until Serenity spoke up, "Hey, Joey?"

"Yeah?" Joey looked at her, eyes wide.

"I love you, big brother," she told him in a soft voice.

Joey smiled. "I love you too, sis."

The blond stood up and stretched. "I think I tired myself out telling that story. You gonna go to bed now?"

"I think I'm okay enough to go to bed," Serenity said, hugging her brother. "Thanks for the story, Joey. It was really great. I'm really thankful that you love me so much."

She climbed the ladder up back to her bed and flopped down onto it. "Goodnight, Joey!"

"Goodnight, Serenity!" Joey gave a small wave before lying down on the bed underneath hers.

As Joey closed his eyes, he reflected on everything that had happened in his life; from his childhood to his teen years to his young adult years, and he realized that he'd truly gone through the roughest of seas, but that after every storm, the sun shone overhead. And one of the people who made up the shining rays of that sun was, of course, Serenity.

Joey smiled. Serenity wasn't the only one who was thankful.


	4. A Dino's Tale

A DINO'S TALE

He washed his face carefully, then stared up at the mirror, watching the water drip off his reflection. He was the only person in the hospital restroom, and he felt like the only person in the world at that point. Lonely. He creaked the door open. Even with the bustling life that swirled around him in the hospital, he still felt alone. He made his way down the hallway, searching for the right room number.

Room 135. Rex turned the knob and entered the area as slowly as he could, regarding the nurse in blue scrubs at the corner of the room. She smiled at him and then looked at the little girl on the hospital bed.

"Kimiko, your friend is here," said the nurse to the girl.

The girl sat up slowly. Her head was bald, concealed by a knitted bonnet in baby pink. Her complexion was as pale as a sheet of paper, contrasting the rainbow-striped pajamas that she had on. the girl's eyes were rimmed with a deep purplish-gray, and her face was weary. Nasal cannulae attached to a plastic tube fed oxygen into her nose.

"Meet Kimiko," the nurse said to Rex. "She's the little princess of this place."

"Hi, Kimiko," Rex whispered, staring.

Kimiko's face brightened, and she smiled and waved frantically at him. "Oh, Rex! I'm a big fan! I watched your duel the other day, and you were so cool! Wow!"

"But I lost that duel," Rex blurted out in a soft voice, dumbfounded. And it hadn't been a gracious loss, either. The opponent practically stomped him mercilessly, mowing down dinosaur monster after dinosaur monster until Rex had nothing left. Rex had almost had a breakdown on national television, and he wondered how he managed to keep it together until he could channel his grief privately.

"I don't care," said the little girl. "You were awesome, anyway!"

"Oh, thank you," Rex murmured. He didn't know how to react. He hadn't met a fan—or had one— in quite some time, let alone one so young.

"How old are you again?" Rex inquired.

"I'm eight," answered Kimiko, grinning proudly. "Just two more years and I'll be a double-digit!"

"Wow, that's a fancy way of puttin' it!" Rex said, finally starting to smile. Then suddenly, his stomach sank as his brow furrowed and his lips curled into a small frown. _I hope you make it to that age and further…_

But Kimiko didn't seem to notice or at least mind Rex's crestfallen expression. "My momma says I'm really good with words. When I grow up I wanna be a singer because all they do is sing words!"

"That's great!" Rex tried the most enthusiastic tone his growly voice could muster. "I think you'll make a fantastic singer."

"Yeah, no stupid leukemia is gonna stop me from being a big star!" Kimiko cheered. "I know everyone's really scared that I'm gonna die, but I'm _totally_ going to beat cancer."

Cancer. The word almost made Rex jump. It was the way Kimiko said it, so casually and so unbothered. And she was supposed to be the patient. Rex reckoned she was probably desensitized to it; after all, Kimiko had to face countless tests, medications, chemotherapies, injections, and body scans. Rex wondered if it was really a good idea for him to visit this girl who had requested to see him as part of a mission that a foundation enacted to make children with cancer happy, because it was starting to feel like he himself couldn't handle facing it. He acknowledged that it contrasted with the rough and tough-as-nails persona he had, but he just couldn't say no to the request for some reason. And to make things more complicated, he felt awkward and admittedly shy doing such a task. He was supposed to be Rex Raptor, the ruthless dinosaur duelist who had no time for mushy matters.

_I'm not good with kids, _he thought to himself. _Why did I think this was a good idea?!_

"So, what are you two going to do?" asked the nurse.

"Uhmm…" Rex glanced around the room. Opposite the corner where the nurse stood was a small shelf filled with children's books and toys. He approached the shelf, noting the items displayed, until his eyes fell upon a triceratops plush doll sitting on top of a book with a grinning dinosaur on it.

He picked up the plush and the book and brought them to Kimiko. "Do you like dinosaurs too?"

"Well, you're my favorite duelist for a reason, right?" Kimiko giggled.

"That's good." Rex held up the book and handed her the plush, which she snuggled warmly immediately. "Want me to read you this story?"

"Okay!" Kimiko propped her chin on her fists. Rex cleared his throat and turned the first page.

"Mr. T-Rex ate every bit, every bit of banana split," he began. "And then there wasn't anymore, none for other dinosaurs."

He continued on with the rest of the book. It told the story of how a greedy tyrannosaurus rex devoured every last bite of banana split ice cream until there was nothing left for the other dinosaurs, which led to a bellyache, and with the other dinosaurs led by a tiny pterodactyl having to then take care of the tyrannosaurus rex. In the end, out of gratitude and after seeing the error of his ways, the tyrannosaurus rex made everyone a great big banana split in return.

"The end," said Rex, finishing his story and closing the book. Kimiko clapped her little hands and cheered.

"Is this the first time you've heard the story?" asked Rex.

Kimiko shook her head. "I've had people read it to me hundreds of times, but when it's coming from you, it's the best!"

Rex found it in himself to grin and bow with a small flourish, feeling positivity slowly creep back into his heart. "Why, thank you, Kimiko!"

It was indeed out of character for the dinosaur duelist to act in such a way. After all, he'd been rude and spiteful towards others prior, and he had a habit of taking but not giving. He'd been greedy, too—in moments that led to his downfall, such as betting his Red-Eyes Black Dragon and activating the Seal of Orichalcos.

Rex reflected on this. Why did he feel the need to be so brash, anyway? He could attribute it to his survival instinct- that the strong must overpower the weak in order to survive, just like a Jurassic food chain. _But look where that got you_, he thought to himself. Perhaps he should've taken a cue from people like Yugi Muto or Joey Wheeler to be kinder. Honest and hardworking as he may have been, even he had to admit that he was obnoxious.

"I love dinosaurs," said Kimiko. She held up the triceratops plush. "This is Mr. Scales. He's happy to meet you!"

"And I'm happy to meet Mr. Scales, too." Rex smiled. "What else do you want to do? Do you want to play anything?"

"I've played billions of games," said Kimiko. "What I like is listening to stories. Do you know any good ones? Tell me a story you've made!"

"Stories? Err…" Rex gestured to the shelf. "Wouldn't you rather I read you another one instead?"

"It can be any story from you!" said Kimiko, sitting up straighter, her eyes gleaming brightly.

How could Rex say no to that face? Even _his_ heart was melting.

"Uhm…" He scratched his neck. "Once upon a time, there lived a very angry t-rex."

"Why was he so angry?" asked Kimiko.

"Because, well…" Rex paused. "He was really lonely, so, he just kept getting angrier and angrier."

"Why was he so lonely in the first place?" asked Kimiko.

Rex frowned. "Because he… was rude and greedy?"

"Aww…"

"Yeah… and the t-rex only had his reflection in the pond under the moon at night to talk to."

Rex crossed himself. That t-rex sure was starting to sound familiar…

"The t-rex made a lot of mistakes trying to make himself feel better. He tried roaring all morning. He tried stomping his feet all afternoon. He tried swinging his tail aimlessly all evening. And, of course, he kept being mean to the other dinosaurs, pulling their tails, stepping on their feet, and snapping his jaws at them."

Rex eyed Mr. Scales in Kimiko's arms. "One day, a little triceratops went up to the mean old t-rex and asked him, 'hey, Mr. T-Rex, why are you so angry?'

"'I don't know,' said the t-rex. 'But, I'm angry all day long,'" Rex continued, watching Kimiko for signs of boredom such as yawning or fidgeting. But she smiled and nodded, encouraging him to go on.

"'I'll help you figure it out,' said the triceratops. 'But you gotta promise to stop being so mean to the other dinosaurs! You're hurting them and I don't like it!'

"The t-rex agreed. The next day, the t-rex and the triceratops had breakfast together…"

"What did they eat?"

"Oh! Err… lots and lots of chocolate chip cookies, hamburgers, and vanilla cake," Rex adlibbed.

Kimiko giggled. "That sounds so fun. My mom and dad would never let me have those for breakfast. I wanna be a dinosaur, they can eat anything they wanna eat!"

"Yeah, cool, isn't it?" Rex nodded in agreement. "And they played games like hopscotch, jump-rope, and bowling together all afternoon. And then in the nighttime, the t-rex and the triceratops had a sleepover and told each other spooky stories all night long until they fell asleep under the stars.

"When the t-rex woke up the next day, he wasn't so mean and grumpy anymore. Turns out, all he really needed was a friend.

"But Mr. T-Rex knew that he had some wrongs to right. So that day, he called all the other dinosaurs together and apologized to them. And for some reason… they forgave him…" Rex's voice trailed off. "Even if he was a mean old dinosaur who did nothing but hurt others. But when they saw that he was willing to change, they forgave him." Then, in hushed tones, "_I wish they'd forgive me…_"

"What was that last part?" Kimiko perked up and leaned forward, trying to catch his softening voice.

"Oh, nothing!" Rex's face turned red as he tried to regroup his thoughts. "Right, so, the t-rex and the other dinosaurs lived happily ever after, with the t-rex helping all of them whenever they needed help and protecting them from other big, mean, and scary creatures. The end!"

"Thank you for the story!" Kimiko said, smiling sunnily. In that moment, she glowed with such happiness that Rex almost forgot she had cancer.

"You're very welcome." Rex smiled back.

"Can I look at your cards?" Kimiko inquired.

"Oh, here…" He fished his deck out of his pocket and presented it to Kimiko, who took it in both hands and shuffled through them.

"This one's my favorite," said Rex, pointing at a card. "Two-Headed King Rex."

"I know! It's your signature," Kimiko responded joyfully. "One day I'll be a duelist like you and own a card like that."

"I thought you wanted to be a singer?"

"What, can't I be both?" Kimiko shrugged.

Rex chuckled. "Of course, Kimiko, of course."

He stared at the card that held the illustration of a purple winged dinosaur with two horned heads. He held his breath, then cleared his throat once more.

"Kimiko, I want you to have it," said Rex. "It's yours."

Kimiko's eyes widened. "Wha—really?!"

Rex nodded. "Promise me you'll take care of it, okay? I hope it means as much to you as it does to me."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Rex!" Kimiko gently took the card from him in both hands, clutched it to her chest, and beamed at him. "You're the best duelist in the world!"

"Aww…" Rex rubbed the back of his head, bashful. "Thanks, kid. That means a lot to me."

Knocking sounded at the door, and the nurse opened it. A doctor leaned in and whispered something to her, and the nurse nodded. She went up to Kimiko's bedside and smiled at both her and Rex.

"Mr. Raptor, your hour's up," said the nurse. "Thank you for visiting Kimiko. It was very kind of you to do so."

"Of course." Rex nodded. "Anything to make a kid happy."

That was probably the sappiest thing he'd ever said in his entire life.

Kimiko looked up at him with semi-watery eyes. "You have to leave now, huh?"

"I'll visit again soon," Rex said. Kimiko took one of his hands in hers and gave it a squeeze. Her hand was soft and fragile, and Rex held onto it firmly, warmly, as though her hand might slip away.

"Thank you," said Kimiko. "I'm looking forward to it!"

As Rex left the hospital, his heart felt lighter. Perhaps this was a step towards repenting for how he'd treated people in the past, a step to make up for all his mistakes. He may have been an honest duelist, sure, but he'd stumbled quite a bit along the way. But he was ready to get back up, to do good, and to change for the better. And he had Kimiko to thank, for she had played a part in his spark of renewal.

He thought about the tale he told Kimiko, realizing that he'd injected his own story into it as well. He'd been lonely and hurt, hurt by the world's cruelty so that he had moments where he had to become cruel himself, but he was aware that wanting to change for the better was a step in the right direction, and that he had to forgive himself too if he wanted to move on.

He was a dinosaur at heart, but instead of going extinct, he decided he'd evolve; evolve into something better, evolve into something that told a tale of kindness and light. And Rex was thankful for the little moments such as what had happened earlier that would bring about a new era in his life.


End file.
